Could This Be a Preview of the Mercedes Benz A-Class Sedan?

The sculpture was unveiled at an event in New York.

Mercedes Benz has already announced they're developing an A-Class Sedan that's bound for the US. The decision came after the success of the A-Class hatchback, leading Mercedes to produce an Audi A3 fighter. This sculpture could be our first rough glimpse at the car's design, and it seems to usher in a new era of Mercedes styling. Striking, isn't it?

There's obvious reasons to assume this is the new A-Class sedan. It cues at a future model for the company that's relatively small in size and stature, featuring foor dours and a unique language from other current Mercs. Aside from camouflaged sightings, this is the most of we've seen of the future model. Mercedes Benz design boss Gorden Wagener describes it as "sensual purity", bringing a sexy element to the sensible auto.

The A-Class sedan makes sense in America. Hatchbacks don't sell all that well here in the States while small four doors seem to be all the range for individuals and small families. The upscale design that we see here will surely be appealing to potential buyers, placing the A-Class sedan nicely into the luxury category. It's set to be a direct competitor to the Audi A3, giving the other German manufacturer a worthy rival.

It will ride on Mercedes front wheel drive MFA2 platform. This base already has its place in the Mercedes Benz lineup as the CLA and GLA already use the architecture today. 4Matic all wheel drive models will also be available, giving consumers plenty of options. MFA2 has proven successful for Mercedes in the past, so the A-Class will have a good head on its shoulders in this case.

We're still at least a year away from seeing the A-Class sedan in showrooms. There's still a fair amount of R&D to take place, but expect to see it sometime in 2018. Model pricing is rumored to start slightly below that of the CLA which starts at $33,325. Four-cylinder turbo engines will become a staple for the range with a possible AMG performance model coming later.